Kyandi: Hey, everyone. I'm so sorry I'm struggling getting these chapters out.
Roksana: She's not doing the best mentally during this whole pandemic.
Kyandi: My motivation is sorely lacking these last few months. I'm trying, though.
Roksana: It's just going to take her a little longer to get chapters out.
Kyandi: I'm not giving up on any of my stories, though.
Roksana: Shall we get on with it?
Kyandi: Yep. Everyone, enjoy and review.
Roksana: Kyandi-sama does not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn.
Chapter 98 Round Two
"I know it was our plan and all, but...you are so screwed."
Tsuna really didn't need Aisling's input at the moment to know just how angry Roksana was with him and how screwed he was because of it. Just glancing over at Roksana showed him that she was silently fuming. He actually preferred she had yelled at him. At least then it wouldn't have been as scary as her silently glaring at him.
Much like with the last fight, the group had relocated away from the city, the group now finding themselves in a large open field boardered by a pretty lake. Though she wouldn't explain it to them, Dre, upon seeing their location, instantly remarked that the choice in locale was a poor match for Roksana. Considering it was Roksana's home field, Tsuna and the others couldn't see how the location was an awful match for Roksana.
Tsuna, though, had bigger problems.
Turning to look across the field, he watched as Roksana pulled her hair back into a high ponytail, accepting a hair tie from Orsel. While her back was still to them, Dre approached Tsuna, leaning forward to put her on Tsuna's eye level.
"Don't forget the plan. While we didn't get the training time I would have liked, the plan should still work. Hit her hard and hit her fast. If you can take her surprise and sweep up the momentmum from there, you'll quickly get the upper hand. Don't let her find her pace or she'll sweep you away in one fell swoop." Dre told him.
"Are you sure about that?" Gokudera asked.
"Yes. While she is strong and she has more stamina than the average person, the reason she hit so fast and kept piling on the hits the last time is because she is well aware that if Tsunayoshi was to find his pace and even use his revised Zero Point Breakthrough, she'd be in for a fight that would quickly become a stalemate and a drawn affair. It if came to that, I have no doubt that Tsunayoshi would, eventually, come out on top. She has stamina and drive, but when it comes to the ability to pile on power in a single hit...Tsunayoshi simply is better." Dre replied.
"Little Miss is strong, and she can land several hits in session in a short amount of time, but she sacrifices "power" for "speed". She has prioritized the ability to move fast over the ability to land critical, finishing hits. Not to mention, she no longer has the regenerative ability of her Vongola Gear, so she's more cautious about sustaining injuries that Nicoli can take advantage of later on." Ray added.
"When has she ever been cautious about injuries!?" Gokudera demanded.
"She might not act like it to you, but she is pretty cautious in a fight. If she honestly believes there's a chance of her dying or sustaining an injury that can severely hinder her down the road, she'll avoid it. In the past, she was able to risk it because of the abilities that Vongola Gear and her Moon flames gave her. She's not able to use her Moon flames with her Raarone ring." Dre assured them.
"But she still has her Sky flames." Tsuna pointed out.
Dre laid her hand on Tsuna's shoulder, her eyes still fixed on the distant form of Roksana as she talked with Orsel.
"She does, and she may have been working with them longer than you, but you surpass her in your application of those flames. Roksana knows how to use her Sky flames and has for a long time, but she resonated more with her Moon flames than the Sky ones. She seriously hindered herself by giving up her Vongola Gear. The only reason you lost the last time was because you didn't seriously fight her. Don't worry about hurting her this time. Just fight. We'll take care of any injuries she gets, so go all out." Dre told him. "Stick to the plan. If you don't win this time, then we'll have missed our chance."
Tsuna nodded, understanding the severity behind the situation, though he still didn't like the idea of fighting Roksana. Good thing they had a plan in place. It was a plan that Roksana wasn't going to see coming until it hit her in the face.
Giving Tsuna's shoulder a pat, Dre straightened up and headed for Roksana. Ray and Aisling followed, Ray calling over her shoulder for Tsuna to get ready. Tsuna watched as Dre drew even with Roksana and leaned down to say something to her. Roksana waved her off, turning away from Dre and her co-workers to start towards the center of the field, where she waited for Tsuna. Swallowing, Tsuna joined her, coming to a stop before her as she adjusted her Raarone ring.
"I'm giving you one last chance to back out and go home. You've nosed enough into my life." Roksana told him. "Though, quite frankly, after what you said, I'm not likely to let you off so easily."
Dre's words echoed in Tsuna's head as his hands curled into fists at his side.
"Just remember, whatever she says, whatever cruel and mean thing she spits at you, it's not true. She's purposely trying to make you hate her. Don't take it at face value."
Reminding himself of what Dre told him, Tsuna tried not to let the chilly look on Roksana's face scare him. Steeling himself, he met her gaze, one of her eyebrows raising in reply.
"I'm not leaving. This time, I'm serious." Tsuna told her.
"And you weren't the last time? I don't know what I feel more insulted about. The fact that you think I'm so breakable that you can't put in effort, or the possibility that you look down on me so much as to not take me seriously." Tsuna flinched at her tone. Despite the iciness that she layered her voice with, Tsuna could just barely hear the hurt hidden deep in her voice. "It doesn't matter either way. This is your last chance, Tsuna. After this, whether you like or not, we're done."
Tsuna hated to break it to her, but that wasn't going to be the case.
Bracing himself for what he was sure was going to be a quick and brutal opening move, Tsuna geared up. Roksana's eyes narrowed at the determined look on his face, the girl following suit with her Raarone gear. As her arm guards and chains and sickles materialized, Roksana twisted her head until her neck popped.
She wasn't stupid, she knew something was up. Roksana had been around Tsuna long enough, had been in the constant companionship of Dre and the other Raarone members, to know that they had planned something. She wasn't sure what it was, though she had a feeling that Dre had put Tsuna through some brutal training in the short time they had been in Russia. Roksana was sure that it wouldn't be enough to really change anything if Tsuna was still hesitant, but knowing Dre like she did, Roksana was sure there was something else to the whole thing.
And considering the whole thing was her first mistake.
"You should pay more attention, Roksana."
Roksana's eyes widened for a moment when Tsuna appeared right in front of her, using her own opening move from the last fight to try to hit her hard and fast.
Too bad for him that Roksana was faster.
When Tsuna's hand shot out, to land the hit, Roksana caught his wrist, the collision of the two's hands sending out a wave of air that disturbed the plants around them. Roksana's feet slid a few inches before she dug her heels in, her eyes narrowing once more as they drifted down to her feet. When they returned to Tsuna's face, she found his gaze fixed sternly on her face, all traces of timidity gone.
"Well, then...finally taking it seriously, are you? But really, did you think using my own opening move against me would work? You'll have to move faster than that. Like this."
Tsuna's eyes widened when her kick came fast and swift, slamming into his gut with the force of a freight train. She released his wrist as the force sent him flying backwards away from her. Tsuna hit the ground on his back, but rolled and came back to his feet. He had only the flash of sunlight off the chains around Roksana's waist to warn him, sending him rocketing into the air, away from Roksana as she attacked again.
"Don't think you're getting away from me that easily!"
Tsuna felt the cold metal of a chain wrap around his ankle as Roksana swung her sickle at him. He felt the chain wrap a few times around his ankle before, with a mighty tug on the chain from Roksana's end, Roksana yanked him back towards the ground, heaving with all of her might in order to slam him into the ground. Yanking on the chain again, Roksana unwrapped the chain and pulled the sickle back to her hand. Flipping the sickle out of her hand, she allowed for about two or three feet of the chain to slide between her fingers before she gripped it, swinging the sickle from the chain.
Spinning the sickle from its chain, Roksana approached Tsuna, giving him enough time to pry himself from the ground and shake bits of dirt and stone from his hair. On his hands and knees, Tsuna turned to look up at her. When his eyes fixed on her face, hurt and pain clear on his face, Roksana came to a halt. Though she tried to fight it, a stab of guilt and pain lanced through her heart seeing that look directed at her. She steeled herself before her heart could start bleeding more than she wanted it to.
Unfortunately for her, that moment of weakness was a distraction she couldn't afford.
"You're truly serious about winning this and keeping us out it then?" Tsuna asked.
"I am."
There was no hesitation in her reply, her expression set in a stern determination. Tsuna hated to do this to her, but none of them wanted to stop to think about what would happen if he lost then and there. Pushing himself up on his knees, he met her gaze square on.
"Then I'm sorry it has to be this way." he told her.
"What are you talking ab-"
Roksana realized too late just how foolish she was.
Tsuna mouthed an apology just as an attack from the side blind-sided her, sending her flying off her feet. Roksana crashed into the ground, rolling and popping back to her feet, her feet scrambling backwards as she fought not to trip over her own heels. Her left side burning from the hit she had just taken, Roksana turned her attention on the one that had attacked her. Her eyes landed on the red-eyed gazed glaring at her down the smoking barrel of a gun.
"Xanxus?" Roksana bristled as the man lowered his gun. "What do you think you're doing? This is a fight between Tsuna and me."
"Not necessarily."
Hearing the voice so close behind her, Roksana whipped around, raising her arms in defense just before she was hit with another surprise attack. Hitting the ground for the second time in a short amount of time, Roksana rushed to her feet, putting distance between her and her newest attacker. This time she was confronted with the grinning face of Mukuro.
"You never said someone else couldn't join in."
By the time the third voice joined the conversation, Roksana had caught on to the plan in action. She whipped around, lashing out before the third person could attack, but this time around, Byakuran was faster, the man knocking her back off her feet, so that she landed on her rear. She didn't even get a moment to breathe before a chill down her spine warned her off the next attack coming. She jerked to the side, a chain slicing by her head to crash a capped end into the ground.
Eyes wide, fearing who it was she was turning to see, but well aware of who it was by the murderous intent in the air, Roksana turned, her eyes following the chain back to the dark glare directed at her. Sure enough, it was exactly who she thought it was.
Hibari.
Looking around as the four surrounded her, Tsuna getting back to her feet, it completely clicked in her head what had happened. Her eyes snapped to Dre, the girl well aware that it had been her right hand woman who had helped them with devising this plan. To make it worse, Dre didn't look the least bit repentant over the fact. Turning her eyes back to Tsuna, Roksana eased herself to her feet, Hibari retracting his chain.
"I see, so that's your game. Five guys ganging up on one girl. How brutish of you." Roksana remarked, reeling in her sickle.
"You didn't really leave us much of a choice, Roksana-chan." Byakuran told her, crossing his legs as he floated a few feet off the ground.
"It was either team up like this, or lose the only real source of entertainment half of us have." Mukuro added.
"Mine."
Hibari shot Mukuro a glare as he declared this, Roksana's eyebrow twitching with the urge to knock the crap out of the both of them. The whole situation was edging her closer to losing her cool. Tsuna, she could handle. When it came down to it, she knew that Tsuna would never go all out against her. She was his friend and she knew he would hold back as much as he could. That being said, add in Xanxus, Mukuro, Byakuran and Hibari, none of which knew what "holding back" meant, and Roksana knew she was screwed.
Glancing between the five males as Mukuro taunted Hibari, Byakuran laughing as Hibari glared at him and Tsuna tried to calm them, Xanxus completely done with the other four, Roksana's mind split into two opposed opinions. One side knew she was screwed, knew that she couldn't possibly compete with all five of them at once. If it had been one-on-one, she knew she would manage a victory, but when they started working together, when they played the numbers game, she knew she didn't stand a chance.
The other side of her brain just wanted to yell "fuck it" and throw all chips into the pot. She was smart enough to realize when she was beaten. She could see clearly what they were trying to do, trying to prove to her that while they couldn't beat her, or Nicoli, one-on-one, they could do it together. She knew she couldn't best them all at once, but she just couldn't concede defeat even in the face of overwhelming odds.
That refusal to bend had been one of the only things keeping her going against Nicoli. That and her need to protect her family. So, while her logical mind was telling her she needed to bow out while she could, find a different excuse to send them all home, her stubbornness was rearing its ugly head, demanding to be heard over everything else.
It was that inordinate stubbornness that drowned out everything else and took hold of her very bones.
"Enough!"
All five males took a step back away from Roksana as her Sky flames exploded from her in her outburst. Roksana ground her teeth together, her hands clenching at her sides. If they were so dead set on bringing her down as a team to prove their point...well, then she wasn't going to make it easy for them. Part of her knew they were just trying to help her, and she really wanted to believe that she could trust them, that they truly meant well, but the other part of her could only see this as them backing her into a corner.
Nothing good came of people backing her into a corner.
All joking slipped away from Mukuro and Byakuran in the face of her display of power. All five of them were aware that they had just pushed Roksana past the point of no return. When her eyes came up, the sharpness of dual colored irises flashing behind the screen of her sun glasses, all five braced themselves for the incoming attack. Roksana's knees bent, the girl barely pushing off the ground when she was slammed into the earth by enough gravitational force that the ground beneath her cracked and crumbled.
Gritting her teeth against a cry of pain and annoyance, Roksana tried to move, even if it was just a single finger, but the force on her body was so great that it made it hard just for her lungs to expand. She forced open one eye, turning it to the newest interference.
"E-Enma!" she hissed as the boy stepped forward.
"You're family, Roksana. The same blood runs through both of our veins. I can't sit back and watch you throw your life away." Enma told her.
"Ugh..."
Roksana, growing increasingly more annoyed with the situation. It was hard to feel bad about what she had said and done when they reacted like this.
But apparently Enma had forgotten that he wasn't the only one with an Earth flame.
Enma's brow furrowed, the boy taking a step back as, inch by inch, Roksana pushed back, shoving herself up from the ground despite the heavy pressure resting on her body. Enma increased the pressure, but Roksana refused to go back down, getting first one foot and then both back under her.
"Yeah, the same blood runs through our veins, and that's exactly why this won't work on me." Roksana hissed.
Before their eyes, Roksana's knees bent, the girl ready to push past the insane pressure on her body in order to attack. Her feet barely left the ground before a knee drove itself into the center of her spine, slamming her back into the ground with a cry of pain. She heard an apologetic, "Sorry, Roksana-dono." before the weight left her back.
Off to the side of the fight, Dre couldn't be more pleased with how things were going. Roksana was being driven into a corner, the girl just moments away from her breaking point. The fact that she was still snapping back retorts was evidence enough that Roksana hadn't been pushed to her breaking point yet.
The key word being "yet".
"Are you sure this is alright?" Timoteo asked, turning to Dre.
"Yes. I have known Roksana for the majority of her life. She has to be pushed to her breaking point before she will see our point. Where most people don't see reason when angered, anger makes Roksana pause and consider the situation before acting because she's well aware of how blind anger can make a person. It's when she's truly angry, pushed to her absolute limits and backed into a corner, that she truly becomes open minded to different ways of thinking." Dre told him. "And I do believe we've finally begun to reach that point."
"What makes you say that?" Ganache asked.
"She's gone silent."
Sure enough, in silence, Roksana pushed herself back to her hands and knees, forcing deep breathes in and out of her squashed lungs. She had acquired quiet a few bumps and bruises, blood trickling from a cut in her bottom lip. Taking a deep breath, calming her aching body, Roksana fixed her eyes on those standing before her as Basil joined them after ramming his knee into her back. Strands of her hair had broken loose of its tie, falling in her face. A puff of breath sent them bellowing back away from her face.
They could see the stream of thought fly by her mind as her eyes shifted from those in front of her to those standing on the side lines. It didn't take a genius to figure out that she was probably considering how many more of them would be willing to jump into the fight before she relented and gave in.
And Roksana wasn't a fool.
She knew she couldn't defeat them all if they worked together. Just Tsuna, Basil and Enma together were a force to be reckon with. Hell, she would have struggled with the poor teamwork that would have existed between Mukuro, Hibari and Xanxus, just because the three were power houses in their own right. If others, like Iemitsu, Squalo, or any of Tsuna's guardians, were to join the fight, she would face a beat down like none other she had ever seen.
Even Nicoli wouldn't have stood a chance against the strong combination of all of their abilities.
Which, she realized, was what they were probably trying to prove to her.
They just didn't realize that there was more at stake than just their well being.
Reaching up to shove her hair out of her face, Roksana eased back to sit on her heels. It made all of them uneasy with how calm and cool Roksana was at the moment. Dre assured those near her that Roksana was nowhere near as cool and collected as she seemed. Taking a deep breath, Roksana fixed the group in front of her with a hard stare.
"You want to play this game...well, fine. I'm warning you know, even if it's certain I'm going to lose...I'm not relenting." Roksana pushed herself to her feet, dusting off her clothes. "Let it never be said I back down from a fight. Just so you know...I have tricks up my sleeve that I've purposely kept from Dre and the others just because of a reason like this."
"Wait...what?!" Dre's cool air broke then, the woman staring at Roksana is shock. "You kept more from us!?"
"I do believe it's already been established that I have severe trust issues, Andressa. Regardless of what my mother wanted for me buy bringing all of you into my life, I was not willing to trust all of my trump cards to anyone. Not even you and the others in Raarone." Roksana told her simply, reaching up to wipe the blood from her bleeding lip. "It had already been proven that Nicoli had slipped double agents into my ranks before. Even if none of you could ever be persuaded to betray me, something I was sure would never happen seeing how many times you defied Nicoli, I was not willing to bet on the same from those who could possibly over hear. Seems my distrust was justified because your assistance with setting this whole thing up...could be seen as just as much of a betrayal."
Roksana turned a sharp look on Dre, the older woman's spine straightening. Roksana felt a little insulted that Dre had honestly thought Roksana wouldn't have planned for something like this. Dre, on the other hand, berated herself for not considering this. Roksana had always been so mistrustful of others that she should have known that Roksana would keep something from them.
"That being said, I'm not inclined to share now by showing you. You want to force my hand so badly, then fine, but I'm not going to help you by backing down." Roksana told them.
Roksana's next move was made with no movement to give her away. One moment she was standing there, dusting off her clothes, and the next...she was slamming Xanxus and Mukuro into the ground, her heels digging their heads into the cold earth. Laying a hand on Enma's shoulder, she swung her body around, planting a kick across Byakuran's face as she shoved Enma down into the dirt along the first two. Tsuna dodged the knee she aimed for his face, her foot, instead, lashing out towards Hibari.
Hibari grabbed the ankle, yanking. Roksana's world blurred before her eyes as he swung her about. She drew her chains across her chest, the length woven between fingers in order to block the tonfa strike he aimed for the center of her chest. The force behind the hit still sent her flying back onto her back. Roksana took the fall with grace, rolling back to her feet, her chains clicking together as she moved. Basil and Tsuna quickly found themselves looped in chain, a tug on one end having those chains tightening around them to painful levels. Roksana than used the two as a wreckingball to drive the others back away from her.
A tug of the chain sent Basil and Tsuna flying. Roksana only caught the barest glimpse of a sunlight flashing off metal before she launched herself into the air, Yamamoto passing by under her with a swing of his sword. So it seemed everyone was going to get in on the fight. With Yamamoto's charge, Gokudera and Ryohei joined the fight too.
Roksana batted off many attacks, dodging others, but she couldn't possibly dodge them all. It took her a few near misses to realize that they were driving her into a position fitting of them. It was only when she stood in the very center of the field that she realized what for. Fending off another attack from Byakuran, a warning signal appearing on the inside of her sunglasses were the only thing that alerted her to the incoming threat at her back. Whipping around, her eyes widened in the face of Tsuna's X-burner.
She was a dead woman.
Crossing her arms in front of her, Roksana took the hit, Belyy taking in as much of a the hit as he could. Tsuna, though, packed quite the kick to the attack, overpowering Belyy and sending Roksana crashing into a large boulder and knocking her right through it to hit a rock formation beside the lake. As the boulder crumbled around her, Roksana inwardly groaned.
She knew, when moving only made parts of her body scream in agony, that she had been beaten.
"Roksana!?"
Tsuna, concerned that he had really managed to hurt her, hurried over to the crumbling stone, but came to a sliding stop when Roksana shoved a bit of stone off her. Tsuna released a sigh of relief when she seemed to, at least, be in one piece. Her hair had come completely free of its tie, though, and now hung in her face. Blowing it up out of her face, she fixed her eyes on Tsuna.
"The lot of you hate me, don't you? Though, I shouldn't complain. That was my goal." Roksana remarked.
When she didn't try to move from where she rested, Tsuna worried that he might have hurt her badly. Ray came rushing forward then, dropping to her knees beside Roksana.
"Please call an end to this fight now, Roks." Ray begged.
"There wouldn't be a fight if people would just butt out." Roksana retorted. "Get me out of here."
Ray took one of Roksana's arms, pulling to help Roksana to her feet. The girl had to fight back a wince of pain as it bloomed to life in her chest.
"All any of us want is to help you. If you can't learn to accept help, then Nicoli will kill you." Dre told her, approaching.
"No. I never had any doubts in my mind that they're strong and that, together, they could best Nicoli a hundred times over. That wasn't the problem." Roksana retorted, pulling her arm free of Ray's grip once she was back on her feet.
"If you didn't think we were weak than why the hell did you put us through all of this!?" Gokudera demanded.
"You know, for a bright boy...you're really slow, Hayato. It was never about doubting your strength. In case you've forgotten, I've fought against many of you. I'm well aware of what you're capable of. Regardless of your strength, I will not let you fight against Nicoli."
"Why the hell not?!" Gokudera demanded.
"Because Nicoli-"
"I what, myshonok?"
A hiss left Roksana as her back went straight. Whipping around, her eyes found the speaker. Nicoli stood on a little hill further down the shore line of the lake, looking down at them with a grin on his face. The man's grin grew as he watched his niece naturally shift into a defensive position, not trusting that he wouldn't start something.
"Calm yourself, myshonok. I'm not here to fight with you or to harm any of your little friends here. Merely to help you make a point." Nicoli told her.
"You? Help me? That is a bald face lie and we both know it." Roksana retorted.
"Normally, yes, but this time I am helping you. Just...in my own way. I am, after all, your uncle. Is it not my job to teach you how unforgiving the world is?" Nicoli spread his hands, trying for an air of generosity, but Roksana only shifted further. "No? I see I'll just have to jump right to the point since you don't seem to be in the mood for fake pleasantries today."
To be honest, she was never in the mood to fake pleasantries with him. She only did it because she wanted her father to save face. She wouldn't be the reason his approval ratings went down.
Roksana's train of thought was yanked away from those musings and back to Nicoli as he turned his attention from her to Tsuna at her side.
"Ah, you must be Tsunayoshi Sawada. Imagine my surprise when I found out that my dear little niece actually had family left from her mother's side...and that he was the next boss of the Vongola, at that! You know, finding out all I have about Misuki's family over the last year has really made a lot come together. It all makes so much more sense now." Nicoli remarked. His grin grew when Roksana stepped in front of Tsuna, a low growl leaving her in warning. "As protective as ever, eh, myshonok?"
Roksana wasn't inclined to reply. She had learned a long time ago that it was a waste of her breath and time to try to come up with snappy retorts for all the crap the man said. Instead, she was shocked when Yamamoto and Squalo stepped in front of her, both with their swords drawn.
"If you want to mess with Roksana, you'll have to go through us." Yamamoto told Nicoli.
"Oh, no, you misunderstand me. Like I said, I'm not here to fight." Nicoli told him, waving him off with a flick of his hand.
"Then why are you here?" Timoteo demanded.
"To show you that I don't have to fight her to reach out and break my niece." If Roksana's spine could get anymore rigid, it did, the girl's body shaking with the tension of a bowstring pulled too taunt. "Don't get me wrong, my niece is a force to be reckon with when she wants to be. She runs one of the world's foremost anti-assassination organizations. Numerous important figure heads from around the world request her organization's assistance. She keeps my brother's reputation spotless, stops all ill attempts aimed at him, his wife and her brother, and she's only fourteen. She's tough, clever and clearly has some amazing connections in both politics and the underworld."
"Your point?" Iemitsu asked.
"My point is, my niece is truly a fearsome person to behold. I like to think that's because of my...careful guidance." Here, Roksana scoffed, Nicoli shooting her a sharp look. "It's not polite to scoff at your elders, Roksana."
If that elder had been anyone other than him, than she wouldn't have. That being said...he was one elder that she was sure her mother wouldn't have minded her scoffing at.
"We're getting old here, old man. Make your point." Gokudera snapped.
"So impatient. My point is that despite her strength and all of her abilities, I have no problem reaching out to break her whenever I want. It's actually rather easy if you know how to go about it. For example...Myshonok, you still can't swim, can you?" Nicoli's eyes turned to Roksana, who didn't bother answering that question. He was well aware of the answer. It suddenly made sense to Tsuna and the others why Dre had said their current locale was a bad choice for Roksana. "I'll take that as a no."
"It doesn't matter. You won't get her in the water with us around." Enma replied.
"I don't need to. Now watch closely. This is how you break Roksana Volkov."
Nicoli turned, calling to someone behind him. The sound of baby babble had Roksana's eyes widening before Nicoli turned back around, now gripping something in his hands. There, clutched in his evil mitts...was her baby brother.
"Marc!"
The sight of the little, baby boy babbling happily when he saw her had Roksana's heart thudding to a stop for a moment. Thoughts raced across her mind, her brain already trying to calculate the best way to get her brother back without risking injury to him, all the while worrying about what had happened to Ninette who had been left with her brother. The horror at the possibilities was clear on her face as she stared up at her brother.
"Ah, see that look on her face? She knows exactly where this is going." Nicoli said, a wicked gleam in his eyes matching the twist of his lips. Shifting his grip on Marc, he gripped the back of the baby's clothes and held him out with one hand "Now watch, children. I'll make her do all the work for me."
Roksana was moving before anyone could blink, much less try to stop her. She made a dash for the lake as, with a a lash of his arm, Nicoli sent Marc flying towards the water. Roksana didn't hear any of those who yelled her name, just took a flying leap off an outcrop that jutted out over a particularly deep section of the lake, catching Marc just before she hit the water, quickly sinking beneath the surface.
Horrified stares remained fixed on the water's surface where Roksana and her brother vanished. Tsuna only remained fixed on the spot for a moment before he was rushing for the water, his friends behind him. He reached the water's edge as Belyy suddenly broke the water's surface, a gasping Roksana clinging to his back, Marc tucked in the bend of one arm. Turning the boy, she pat his back, not even waiting for Belyy to swim them back to the shoreline to try to expel the water from her brother's lungs.
With a pitiful cough, Marc spewed lake water from his lungs, Roksana continuing to pat his back even as he coughed up the last of the water and started bawling at the top of his lungs. She would take the crying for that meant he could breath and would be fine. Dre, Ray, Ellyda, Orsel and Aisling splashed into the shallows of the water, hurrying to Roksana's side as Belyy dragged Roksana into the shallows.
"Roksana!"
Dre and Aisling each took hold of one of Roksana's biceps, pulling her to her feet. As they walked her out of the water, the girl dripping wet and shivering from the wind blowing over her wet body, Roksana refused to let Ray take her brother from her. Marc, now whimpering, gripped the front of his sister's shirt. The others joined them, Tsuna, Yamamoto and Gokudera crowding her as they cleared the water. The moment she was back on dry land, Roksana sank to sit on the ground, hugging her brother to her chest.
"Well, that's disappointing." All eyes turned to Nicoli, the man staring down at Roksana with an easy grin on his face, but a dark look in his eyes. "Oh, well. You see my point though. For all her strength and cleverness, the girl has one glaring weakness. It's almost too easy to break her sometimes. She was the same way with her mother."
"Why are you doing this!? She's your family!" Tsuna yelled, facing Nicoli.
"Because, when she doesn't have something so binding tying her down, she's actually quite the frightening opponent to fight. She fought me, one-on-one, only once. It was such a thrilling fight unlike any other I've ever been in. She gave me this in that fight." Nicoli reached up, unbuttoning his cleanly pressed dress shirt. Pulling it open, he graced them with the sight of a large scar marring his chest from just under his right collar bone, across his chest to just shy of his left hip bone. "The scar I left in turn was much smaller than this, but it almost cost me my life. I've never experienced something so riveting aside from that fight. I only got the fight, though...after I killed her mother."
Eyes turned to Roksana, none of them able to see her face past the dripping screen of her hair as she tried to calm her crying brother. Horror sunk in anew as they realized that not all Roksana had told them had been true.
"You told us she died of illness." Tsuna voiced.
"I told you that she had been sick most of her life and that she died. I never said how she died...I just let your brains fill in the blanks." Roksana replied lowly.
"You killed her mother!?" Gokudera snapped, glaring up at Nicoli.
"Misuki was an obstacle that needed to be removed." Nicoli shrugged his shoulders. "I tried poisoning the woman, sending assassins after her, every indirect means I could think of, but the woman was resilient. I suppose that is where Roksana gets it from because my brother sure isn't as crafty as she is. Eventually, I had to get my hands a little dirty. Originally, I intended to send mother and daughter to the grave together, but our lovely Andressa there just couldn't keep her nose out of it."
All eyes turned to Dre as the woman raised her nose at Nicoli. "Like I would let you kill Roksana."
"Yes, yes. You are splendid at doing your job, just as those gloves are splendid at hiding the scars that night left on you. You can hide them all you want, my dear, but no man is going want a woman with skin like yours." Nicoli told her simply, waving her off as if she didn't matter. "Would you like to hear how I killed lovely little Misuki?"
"Shut up." Dre hissed, but Nicoli only grinned, knowing that dredging up the incident was wrecking havoc on his niece's mental well being.
"I trapped her and Roksana in the house...and set it on fire." Horrified looked went from Nicoli to Roksana, who refused to look up from rocking her brother who had finally calmed down. "They both would have perished if Andressa had charged into the fire to pull Roksana out. Wrapped Roksana right up in a wet blanket and got her out without considering the flames eating at her arms. Tell me, my dear...do the burn scars still hurt?"
Dre's hands curled into fist, fighting back the urge to rub at her glove covered arms. She kept an indifferent look on her face as she simply raised her hand and introduced Nicoli to a very rude hand gesture that made a grin curl Xanxus' lips.
"My arms and hands still work, as you can see. That's all that matters." Dre retorted, waving her middle finger at Nicoli.
"So rude. I'm sure Misuki didn't teach you that. Fine then, be unpleasant. I've done what I came here today to do. Enjoy your friends' company, myshonok. I would hurry back to the manor, though, if I were you. Poor Ninette is waiting."
With that, Nicoli turned on his heel and left. When several of them moved to follow, Roksana called them to a stop, making them all turn to look at her.
"Just let him go. Aisling, Ray, go back to the manor. Check on Nette and Natalia." Roksana told them.
"Do you want me to take Little Man?" Orsel asked, crouching next to Roksana.
"No." Roksana pulled her brother a little tighter to her chest, the baby squirming. "I'll hold him."
"Okay, but we need to get the two of you dry and changed before you catch your death by cold." Orsel insisted.
Orsel was forced to the side as Hibari approached, removing his jacket. Crouching in front of Roksana, he threw the jacket around her shoulders, pulling it close around her and Marc. Roksana raised her head then, her eyes meeting his. For a moment, she searched his eyes, though he had no idea what she was looking for. Finally, with a muttered word of thanks, she looked away from him.
Gokudera butted in then.
"What the hell were you thinking!? You can't swim, yet you just jumped right in!?" Gokudera snapped, glaring down at her.
"What do you want me to do, huh? He's my brother. It's my job, as his big sister, to protect him. Ask your sister. She'll say the same thing." Gokudera snapped his mouth shut at the mention of his sister. He knew she had a point, though he wouldn't admit it out loud. "Do you get it now? The reason I didn't want any of you here? It's not just for you're well being."
"What are you talking about, Roksana?" Tsuna asked.
"Nicoli is cruel. If you take an opposing side to him, he doesn't stop at just you. By taking my side, by helping me...you're putting targets on the backs of your friends and family, everyone you love." Roksana looked up then, her eyes scanning them all. "Are you alright with that? Because I'm not."
So that was where her mind had been the whole time. Roksana hadn't just considered what would happen to them. She had considered how it would effect everyone in their lives. Given that Nicoli was part of a big name mob, she had reason to be so concerned.
But she had forgotten just how vast the Vongola was.
If claiming his place in the ranks of the Vongola, even for just a short time, was the only way he could help Roksana, Tsuna would do it.
Crouching in front of Roksana, Tsuna drew her attention up to him. Seeing her cling to protectively, so desperately, to her baby brother, her posture defensive even when the enemy had left, it made Tsuna's heart ache. Meeting her eyes, he hoped he could see his genuine honesty in his gaze.
"We aren't going anywhere, Roksana. We're your friends, your family. We'll have your back to the end. I promise, we can help. We want to help." Tsuna told her.
"Tsuna, I...I just can't..."
Roksana trailed off, her eyes shifting away from his. She was fighting with her instincts, with lessons beaten into her over the course of her life. Tsuna knew how difficult it was to change.
"For shit's sake, look at yourself, brat! You're two steps away from falling apart." Squalo snapped, waving a hand at her.
"You can't do everything on your own, Roksana-chan." Byakuran asked.
"Why are the two of you even trying. Last I remember, I plunged a hand into your chests." Roksana retorted sourly, not looking up at them.
"And it hurt like hell! You owe me for that, but you sure as hell can't pay me back if your dead!" Squalo snapped.
"Besides...we're friends. You said so yourself." Byakuran reminded her, a grin on his face.
"Regardless of how different the relationships may be, you mean something to everyone here, Volkov." Roksana raised her eyes to Reborn when he spoke, her eyes traveling over everyone around her, landing and dwelling on Hibari. "No one here is about to walk away from that now. Remember what Primo told you. While you have survived this long fighting this way, you won't be able to live this way forever. Sooner or later, you will have to let others in or it will likely kill you and all you hold dear. We aren't meant to live this life alone. That's why there are so many humans in the world. Everyone here is ready to fight. Are you going to accept it, or die struggling and bring your brother with you?"
Roksana's eyes shifted to Marc, the dual-colored irises scanning the young child's face as he sniffled and whimpered, his tiny fist balled tightly around her hair and clothes. They watched her jaw work, her teeth appearing to worry at her bottom lip. Finally coming to a conclusion, her need to protect her family over-whelming years of conditioning, Roksana turned her eyes to Tsuna.
"I hope you have a plan, than, but I'm fresh out of them."
A smile lit Tsuna's face, sighs of relief leaving several of them as Roksana finally relented. Whether she wanted to or not, they had all already been involved. Even if she sent them home, Nicoli would still find a way to use them against her, sending her running back and forth between Japan and Russia in the attempt to protect everyone she cared about.
Eventually, her body would give out.
With her acceptance of their help, they could now proceed with something up with some kind of plan to rid her of the threat of Nicoli. But first things were first. Approaching her, Iemitsu took hold of Roksana's elbow and helped her to her feet.
"First, let's get you dry and warmed up." he told her.
While she felt like a giant weight had been lifted off her chest, Roksana still felt a looming cloud over her head. She wasn't sure if that was her paranoia and concern eating at her once again, or if it was just part of the conditioning not to trust others. Either way, she was going to have to suck it up and get over for Marc and for her family.
Hopefully, she could be rid of Nicoli once and for all.
END
Kyandi: Don't worry, I can't swim either.
Roksana: That would explain where I got it from.
Kyandi: Yeah, well, the difference between us is I float and you don't.
Roksana: Anyone can float on their back. You try doing it with a toddler clinging to you for dear life.
Kyandi: Point taken. Anyway, it's dinner time and I'm starving.
Roksana: That's Kyandi Talk for "It's time to go".
Kyandi: Yes, ma'am. Everyone, enjoy and review.
Roksana: We'll be back as soon as we possibly can.
Kyandi: Bye-bye!
